Tracker-tube support for player pianos



July 1-0, 1928.

E. A. HUSEBY TRACKER TUBE SUPPORT FOR PLAYER PIANos Filed Feb. 5, 1927 l NN ......... g T sd,

. Y R l l l k v R t n I l ww July 10, 192,8. 1,676,781

- E. A.HUSEBY TRACKER TUBE SUPPORT FOR PLAYER PIANOS Filed Feb. 5, 1927 2 sheets-'sheet 2 -zz z@y 1 Imaz@ N dmond/JZ H11/56175,'

Patented .uly 10, 1928.

' Ennemi A. IIUsEBY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRACKER-TUBE SUPPORT FOR PLAYER PLANOS.' i

Appiication-med February 5, i927'.v semi No. Ireneo.v

This invention relates to an. improved tracker tube support tor` player pianos oi" that type wherein the music sheet rolls and tracker bar, and theroll-operating mechanisms, areinounted in a sliding drawer be neath the key bed oi' the instrument, and the player actions are tiXedly mounted within or beneath the casing of t-he instrumentin rear ot thekey bed. `Since the 4drawer is drawn out :for the insertion and removal ot the music rolls, and is pushed in beneath ythe vkey bed' when the instrument is playing, the tracker tubes connecting the tracker bar to the player actions of course have to be of sutlicient length to accommodate the sliding movement ot the drawer. `lt' means were not provided for supporting the tracker Atubes y substantially mid-length thereofthey would,

when the `dra-wer is closed, droop and present an unsightly appearance. One lobject of my present inventionis to provide an improved tracker tube support which will ei'- fectively prevent drooping of the. tracker tubes when the drawer isclosed. Another object is to provide a tracker tube support of the character specilied `which will adequately support the tubes in both .idle and playing position without any danger ot' creating kinks in the tubes which would choke the free How ot'f air therethrough. My invention is applicable to players ot' either :the grand reproducing type,` or the upright type, and is well adapted-to cooperate with playeractions of the semi-unit type, such as `that disclosed and; claimed `ini Letters Patent 1.to AlbertA. 'Huseby No. .1,586,746, dated J une 11, 192.6,.although capable of cooperation with other types of player actions. Still otherobjects and attendant advantages ot the invention will-be apparent to persons skilled in the art asthe same becomes better understood by reference to the tollowing detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which I have. illustrated one simple and practical embodiment of the principle ot' the invention, and wherein Fig. lis a front elevation of the key'bed and drawer of `a reproducing piano embodying'iny invention;`

Fig. :2 fsa vertical transverse section on an' enlarged scale,showing the drawer in open position; v I

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the drawer in closed position and also showing in vertical sectional stack of player acmember formed tions like those disclosed in the patent albove identified;V i

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view, on'a reduced scale taken onthe line 4 4 oil'A F ig. 3; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail ell one end ot the tube-supporting reel and its support;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section ol the tube-sup porting reel on the line (if-6 ot Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, 110 Vindicates aconventional showing of the key bed, and

ll designates as an entirety'adrawer slidably lmounted beneath the key' bed l0 by any suitable means such as ythe tongue and groove supports indicated in Fig. l at 12. The bot-tom wall of the drawer ll is, in the instance shown, provided with a longitudinal slot 13 by` which the drawer mayv be opened by inserting the lingers therein, which avoids the presence of i unsightlyV ,knobs on the front of the drawer 4tor this In and .lengthwisegjof the central purpose.l portion of `the drawer is mounted the usual tracker tube -14 ,supported at? its ends by transverse partitions l5, anden either side of the tracker tube 14 arev pocketstor the windingspool 17. On the outer sides ot the partitions l5 are chambers'to contain the Vmusic roll andwndin'g spool motor, and

the'various controls' of 'the instrument, with which the present `invention isfnot conl cerned. i

`Suitably mounted in rear oli the key bed `and, in the case of a grand piano, suspended from the bottom board of the instrument is one end with a nipple 20. 'Extending between and connect-ing the nipples 2O of they .reception oft-lie usual musicA roll.16 and 1 -a vstack ot semi-unit player actions designated as entireties by 19, eachprovided fat tracker tube 14 are the rubber tracker tubes Y 22, these latter being carried through suit- -able apertures in the vertical panel Q3 beneath the rear edge of the key `bed l0.

To the under side ot the key bed l() are secured a pair of vspaced'beariiig brackets 24, in'which is suspended; with capacity of swinging movement a horizontal limb 25 of a bail-shaped rod, the depending limbs of which vare shown at'26. `ln andv between the limbs 2d approximately mid-length thereof is mounted `on pivots 27 oi the 'tracker tube reel. `Grenera'lly described', this reel consist-s of an approximately circular with aV dia-metric Vslot through which the trackertubes extend. In j its preferred form as herein shown itconsists of a pair of inversely disposed parallel semi-heart-shaped bars 28 that are connected and spaced at their ends by cleats 29 secured to the opposed flat faces of the bars 28 as by screws 30; each of the cleats being adapted to receive the pivot stud 27, carrying a spaeing washer 3l. The lower ends of the bail arms 26 are pivotally connected by links 32 to a pair of lugs 33 attached to the under side of the drawer 1l.

When the drawer is pulled out, the reel is rshifted bodily from the position shown in F ig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2; and at the same time the drag of the portions of the tubes between the reel and the player action rotates the reel through a: half turn, unwinding the` tubes therefrom, as shown in Fig. 2. When the drawer is pushed in, the reel is shifted bodily p back from the position show-n inl F ig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, and

Y at thesame time the slack in the tracker tubes is wound on the reel vby the reverse ro.- tation of the latter effected by the winding action of a cord or tape 34 that is secured at one end as by screws 35 tothe under side of the bed- 10 and is woundy a-round the reel and attached at its other end as by screws 36 preferably to one end of one of the cleats 29. The member 34 preferably consists of a thin steel tape having, in its natural condition, the form of a helical spring whereby, When the reel is shifted toward the front vof the key vbed to unwind thel tracker tubes, the tape exerts a slight turning action on the reel in a clockwise direction, to that extent relieving the tracker tubes of theV pull. Since, however, the friction ofthe reel in its bearings is practically negligible, and the reel is encircled by as many tracker tubes as there are keys on the piano, the pull on the individual tracker tubes is practically negligible, and an ordinary inelastic cordor tapeB/i may be employed if desired.

It will be observed that the cross-sectional shape of the reel is such that all of the tube-bending surfaces thereof are well rounded, which yavoids the danger of producing kinks or chokes in the tubes themselves. It will also be observed that the construction avoids any relative sliding movement between the tubes and the reel, thereby avoiding chaing and wear of the tubes. At the same time, in both open and closedv positions of the dra-werv the tubes are supported in suticiently elevated position to be out of sight.

The structure illustrated and described is illustrative of one simple and practical embodiment of the principle of theinvention, but it is to` be understood that specific changes and` modifications in the structural details may beresorted to without departing from the principle vof the invention orV sacrificing any of the advantages. thereof,

and hence the invention is not to be understood as limited to the speciic structure disclosed but includes all such variations, modifications and mechanical equivalents as fall within the terms and spirit of the appended claims. v

.l claim l. In a device of the character described, the combination with a key bed, and a player action'in rear of said key bed, ofv a drawer slidable beneath the key bed, a tracker bar in said drawer, tracker tubes connecting said tracker bar with said pla-yer action, and a tracker tube supporting reel suspended from said key bed.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a key bed, and a player action in rear of said key bed, of a drawer slidable beneath the key bed, a tracker bar in sai ddra'wer, tracker tubes connecting said tracker bar with said player action, a reel beneath the key bed on which the tracker tubes are wound, and a bail vpivotally suspended from the under side of the key bed in and between the arms of which said reel is journaled. 1

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a key bed, and a player action in rear of said key bed, of a draw-er slidable 'beneath the key bed,` a tracker bar in said drawer, tracker tubes connecting said tracker bar with said player action, a reel beneath the key bed on which the tracker tubes are wound, a bail pivotally suspenled from the under side of the key bed in and between the arms of which said reel'is journaled, and means actuated by 'said drawer for swinging said bail. J

4.' In a device ofthe character described, the combination with a key bed, anda player action in rear of said key bed, of a drawer slidable beneath the key bed, a tracker bar in said drawer, tracker tubes connect-ing said tracker bar with said player action, a reel beneath ythe key bed on which thetracker tubes are wound, va bail pivotallysuspended from the under side ofthe key bed in and between the arms of which said reel is journaled, meansl actuated byy said drawer for swinging said bail, and; means for turning said reel to wind the tracker tubes thereon when said drawer is moved to closed position.v

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a. key bed, and a player action in rear of said key bed, of a drawer slidable beneath the key bed, a tracker bar in said drawer, tracker tubes connecting said tracker bar with said player action, a reel beneaththe key bed on. which the tracker tubes are Wound, a bail pivotally suspended from the under side of the key bed in and between the arms of which said reel is journaled, means actuated by said drawer for swinging said bail, and a flexible member anchored at one end and at its other end encircling and attached to said reel for turning the latter in a direction to wind the tracker tubes. thereon when said drawer is moved to closed position.

6. In al device of the character described, the combination with a key bed, and a player action in rear of said key bed, of a drawer' slidable beneath the key bed, a tracker bar in said drawer, tracker tubes connecting said tracker bar with said player action, a reel beneath the key bed on which the tracker tubes are wound, a bail pivotally suspended from the under side of the key bed in and between the arms of which said reel is journaled, means actuated by said drawer for swinging said bail, and a steel tape attached at one end to the key bed and at its other end encircling and attached to said reel for turning the latter when the drawer is moved in one direction.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a tracker tube supporting reel formed with a transverse slot for the passage of the tracker 1 tubes therethrough.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a tracker tube supporting reel formed with a diametric slot for the passage of the tracker tubes therethrough and with rounded peripheral surfaces on opposite sides of said slot on which said tubes are adapted to be wound.

9. A a new article of manufacture, a tracker tube supporting reel comprising a pair of parallel reversely disposed bars of substantially semi-heart shape in cross-section, and spacing cleats between the end portions of said bars attached to the inner opposed faces of the latter, thereby forming a diametric slot in said reel adapted to accommodate the passage of tracker tubes therethrough.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a key bed, and a player action in rear of said key bed, of a drawer slidably mounted beneath said key bed, a tracker bar in said drawer, trac-ker tubes connecting said tracker bar to said player action, a bail pivotally suspended from said bed, a tracker tube supporting reel journaled in the arms of said bail, links connecting said bail to said drawer, and means for eiecting a turning movement of said reel from a sliding movement of said drawer.

EDMOND A. HUSEBY. 

